Azerbaijan investigates mass grebe deaths on Caspian coastline

Thousands of dead grebes have been found along Azerbaijan’s Caspian coastline, prompting authorities to expand inspections as early laboratory tests show no signs of infectious disease.

The mass deaths have drawn concern across coastal regions. Residents in Khachmaz say the shoreline has been strewn with carcasses for several weeks, according to Azertac.

Near Niyazabad village, thousands of dead birds lay scattered for kilometres.

Local resident Anar Mikayilov described how weakened grebes behaved unusually as colder weather set in.

“I come here often. For more than 20 days, the carcasses of these birds have been scattered along the shore,” he said, recalling how the scene unfolded over several weeks.

He said the situation initially appeared even more distressing. “At first, there were also birds that were still alive. They gathered in groups and stood motionless. Even when you approached or touched them, they would not fly.”

He added that attempts to help made little difference. “Even if we picked them up and put them back into the water, the waves would push them ashore again. On the shore, they bent their necks and died from the cold.”

Bird deaths were later reported along the coasts of Baku, Absheron and Sumgayit, prompting inspections by the Azerbaijan Food Safety Agency (AQTA), the Biodiversity Conservation Service and the Agricultural Services Agency.

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Specialist teams carried out on-site assessments and collected samples for diagnostic testing.

According to AQTA, laboratory analysis of samples taken from the Baku-Absheron and Sumgayit coastline did not detect any specific animal disease.

Officials stressed that the findings do not conclude the investigation, and broader factors - including natural causes, food scarcity or weather conditions - remain under review.

In Khachmaz, further analysis is continuing, with specialists examining carcasses collected near Niyazabad and Nabran.

Authorities said the public will be informed once the full test results are available, adding that clean-up measures are being planned for affected stretches of shoreline.

Grebes, which are found worldwide except in Antarctica, migrate to Azerbaijan for wintering and are commonly seen in coastal areas during the colder months.

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